Painter robbed, shot before chase, crash

A man painting a northeast Harris County parking lot was robbed and shot before the suspects led deputies on a chase that ended with a crash.

Harris County Precinct 3 deputies said it started outside Anna's Linens at 5959 East Sam Houston Parkway near Wallisville Road when two robbers attacked a man who was painting stripes in the store parking lot Friday at 2:30 a.m. During the straggle, the crooks ended up shooting the painter twice, officials said.

The men jumped in a van and took off. A deputy constable spotted the van near Freeport and Interstate 10.

"My men found the vehicle," said Lt. Jasen Rabalais. "(They) got into a car pursuit, came down I-10 service roads and the subject crashed out here at Freeport and I-10."

The van slammed into a concrete pillar. One man was immediately taken into custody. The other fled on foot.

Investigators said the painter helped mark his attackers.

"The suspect, whenever he did the robbery, was at the parking lot where they were painting the stripes and the guy painting it sprayed him with a paint gun whenever he discharged his weapon towards the victim," said Rabalais. "He was covered in paint when we caught him."

The painter was hospitalized in serious condition, but is expected to be OK.

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